New Delhi
The humanitarian aid dispatched by New Delhi immediately after the initial earthquake rocked the southeastern parts of Afghanistan at the end of August is not a gesture in isolation. Though India has not granted recognition to the Taliban rulers in Kabul, it has continued its outreach for the common people’s benefit in this beleaguered country. India’s evolving engagement with the Taliban is not a matter of ideological alignment, but of geopolitical necessity. Since the regime’s return to power in Aug 2021, New Delhi has recalibrated its approach from outright rejection to cautious diplomacy.
India’s engagement with the Taliban is driven by a range of strategic imperatives. A stable Afghan regime can help deny Pakistan-based terror proxies safe havens, bolstering India’s border security. Afghanistan also serves as a vital land bridge to Central Asia and the Chabahar port corridor, offering New Delhi alternative access for trade and energy resources. Incidentally, a Parliamentary Standing Committee report, tabled in March this year, underscored the need for projects and programmes aimed at the welfare of women and children in Afghanistan.It noted that the allocation for ‘Aid to Afghanistan’ was Rs 200 crores during the Budget Estimate (BE) 2024-25, but was revised to Rs 50 crores in the Revised Estimate (RE) stage. It was then increased to Rs 100 crores in BE 2025-26. According to the External Affairs Ministry, budgetary allocation to Afghanistan since Aug 2021 was primarily aimed at stabilising the country in terms of food security, medicines and emergency supplies.
